What's next? Chavez's death leaves many questions

By Lateef Mungin and Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN

Updated 10:39 AM ET, Wed March 6, 2013

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Army Lt. Col. Hugo Chavez, who led a 1992 attempted coup, speaks to reporters on March 26, 1994, after he was freed from jail. Chavez was freed after charges were dropped against him for leading the first of two attempted coups against the government of former President Carlos Andres Perez, who was later removed from office.

Hide Caption

1 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Venezuelan president-elect Chavez visits Bogota, Colombia, on December 18, 1998. On December 6, Chavez had been elected the youngest president in Venezuela history.

Hide Caption

2 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – President Chavez greets supporters with his then-wife, Marisabel Rodriguez de Chavez, beside him as he arrives to preside over a parade in his honor on February 4, 1999, in Caracas. Chavez was sworn in as president on February 2.

Hide Caption

3 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez inspects military maneuvers of the national Air Force on March 17, 2001, in Catilletes near the border with Colombia. In June 2000, Chavez was re-elected to the presidency for a six-year term, under the new constitution created by his government in 1999.

Hide Caption

4 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – People try to take shelter from gunshots fired near Altamira Square in Caracas on August 16, 2004. At least three people were wounded by gunshots after Chavez supporters fired on opposition demonstrators, police said. A vote to recall Chavez as president failed on August 15.

Hide Caption

5 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez, left, stands in front of supporters with Fidel Castro of Cuba, center, and Evo Morales of Bolivia, right, during a rally at the Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana, Cuba, on April 29, 2006.

Hide Caption

6 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez meets with Pope Benedict XVI at his private library on May 11, 2006, in Vatican City.

Hide Caption

7 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez embraces Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, right, in Tehran, Iran, on July 1, 2007. The two presidents have enjoyed a close relationship and Chavez has referred to Ahmadinejad as his "ideological brother."

Hide Caption

8 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez speaks during a rally in Caracas on November 18, 2008. Chavez pushed to change term limits in Venezuela through a referendum that passed on February 15, 2009, clearing the way for him to run for a third six-year term.

Hide Caption

9 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez, right, gives a copy of the book, "The Open Veins of Latin America" by Eduardo Galeano to President Barack Obama during a multilateral meeting at the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on April 18, 2009.

Hide Caption

10 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez, right, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during his visit to the presidential palace in Caracas on April 2, 2010.

Hide Caption

11 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez salutes to the audience after passing a law in Caracas on November 12, 2011. Chavez has undergone several rounds of cancer treatment in Cuba, beginning in 2011.

Hide Caption

12 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez participates in a ceremony at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on January 27, 2012.

Hide Caption

13 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez, left, jokes with American actor Sean Penn, right, during his visit to Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on February 16, 2012. Penn thanked Chavez for the support given by the Venezuelan government to his nongovernmental organization, which benefits victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Hide Caption

14 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez acknowledges supporters on the streets of Caracas while on his way to the airport to travel to Cuba for ongoing cancer treatment on February 24, 2012.

Hide Caption

15 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez gestures to the crowd during his closing campaign rally in Caracas on October 4, 2012. The leftist leader won a fourth term on October 7, extending his presidency to 2019.

Hide Caption

16 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – A handout picture released by the Venezuelan presidential press office on Friday, February 15, 2013, shows Chavez surrounded by his daughters and holding the February 14 edition of the official Cuban newspaper Granma at a hospital in Havana, Cuba.

Hide Caption

17 of 18

Photos: Political career of Hugo Chavez18 photos

Political career of Hugo Chavez – Chavez supporters gather in Caracas' Bolivar Square to mourn Chavez's death on March 5, 2013.

Hide Caption

18 of 18

Story highlights

Chavez's death leaves many unanswered questions

Chavez was the leader of Venezuela for 14 years

Former vice president Nicolás Maduro will take over as president until an election

Presidents arrived in the country for the funeral procession, including Uruguay's Jose Mujica, Argentina's Cristina Kirchner and Bolivia's Evo Morales.

The country has declared seven days of mourning, closed schools for the rest of the week and deployed armed forces to "guarantee peace."

The death of the longtime charismatic but controversial leader Tuesday leaves many unanswered questions that Venezuela and the world must now grapple with.

Who is expected to succeed Chavez?

In the short term, Vice President Nicolas Maduro will take over as president of Venezuela until an election is held. He is Chavez's hand-picked successor and delivered the news to the country of the longtime leader's death.

Maduro, 50, has long been a high-profile face in Chavez's administration. He rose from a career as a bus driver in Caracas to Chavez's inner circle.

Just Watched

Hugo Chavez's legacy

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – A man adjusts a banner before the start of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's funeral outside the Military Academy on Friday, March 8, in Caracas. Uncertainty swirled around what happens next in Venezuela as the deeply divided South American country mourned its late leader. Chavez, 58, died Tuesday, March 5, after a battle with cancer.

Hide Caption

1 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – A woman wraps up in Venezuela's flag to stay warm as she and others wait in line before the start of Chavez's funeral on March 8 in the capital.

Hide Caption

2 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Chavez's coffin is carried Wednesday, March 6, to the Military Academy for his funeral in Caracas.

Hide Caption

3 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Throngs of Chavez supporters accompany the coffin of the deceased Venezuelan president as it arrives at the Military Academy in Caracas on March 6.

Hide Caption

4 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Crowds in Quito, Ecuador, gather around a large photograph of Chavez to pay their respects to the deceased president on March 6. Ecuador's left-leaning president, Rafael Correa, was a Chavez ally.

Hide Caption

5 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – A woman watches as Chavez's casket is driven through the streets of Caracas on March 6.

Hide Caption

6 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – A man reacts at Plaza Bolivar of Caracas, on March 6.

Hide Caption

7 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Members of the military escort Chavez's casket down the streets of Caracas on March 6.

Hide Caption

8 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Riot police contain the crowds looking on as Chavez's casket is driven through the streets of Caracas on March 6.

Hide Caption

9 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Palestinians hold portraits of Chavez during a rally in front of the Venezuelan Embassy, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on March 6.

Hide Caption

10 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Supporters of Chavez light candles while gathering in front of the Venezuelan Embassy in Santiago, Chile, on Tuesday, March 5.

Hide Caption

11 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Venezuelans in Caracas react to the news of Chavez's death on March 5.

Hide Caption

12 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Venezuelan Defense Minister Diego Molero speaks in Caracas on March 5. He said that the Venezuelan people must fight for Chavez's legacy.

Hide Caption

13 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Chavez supporters hold pictures of the late president as they gather on March 5 in front of the Military Hospital in Caracas.

Hide Caption

14 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Venezuelans ride motorcycles through Caracas after the announcement of Chavez's death on March 5.

Hide Caption

15 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – A man mourns the death of Chavez outside the Military Hospital in Caracas on March 5.

Hide Caption

16 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Venezuelans shout in the streets of the capital on March 5.

Hide Caption

17 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – A Venezuelan woman adjusts the television while watching the news of Chavez's death on March 5 inside a Venezuelan restaurant in Panama City, Panama.

Hide Caption

18 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – Many people in Caracas wept openly as news of Chavez's death spread on March 5.

Hide Caption

19 of 20

Photos: Venezuela in transition20 photos

After Chavez: Venezuela in transition – A man walks past a mural in Caracas portraying the South American liberator Simon Bolivar, the Venezuelan flag and Chavez on March 5.

Hugo Chavez's 2009 interview with CNN

"I ask this of you from my heart," Chavez told a crowd in December about Maduro. "He is one of the young leaders with the greatest ability to continue, if I cannot."

But other opinions are mixed.

Maduro has been Venezuela's vice president and foreign minister and has been the recent author of some the country's most radical policies, said Javier Corrales, a professor of political science at Amherst College in Massachusetts.

"But he also has been behind some of the most pragmatic and conciliatory decisions, including the turnaround in relations with Colombia," Corrales said.

When will elections take place?

An election will be called within 30 days, Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said Tuesday.

Just Watched

Venezuelans remember Hugo Chavez

Chavez's famous friends – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez greets actor Sean Penn after a meeting at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on March 5, 2011. Penn thanked Chavez for the support given by the Venezuelan government to his nongovernmental organization, which benefits victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Hide Caption

1 of 9

Photos: Celebrities and Hugo Chavez9 photos

Chavez's famous friends – Chavez kisses the hand of British supermodel Naomi Campbell during a meeting in Caracas on October 31, 2007.

Hide Caption

2 of 9

Photos: Celebrities and Hugo Chavez9 photos

Chavez's famous friends – Director Oliver Stone and Chavez attend the "South of the Border" premiere during the 66th Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2009, in Venice, Italy.

Hide Caption

3 of 9

Photos: Celebrities and Hugo Chavez9 photos

Chavez's famous friends – Chavez speaks to actor Kevin Spacey during a meeting at the Miraflores presidential palace on September 24, 2007.

Hide Caption

4 of 9

Photos: Celebrities and Hugo Chavez9 photos

Chavez's famous friends – Actor Danny Glover and Chavez embrace while attending the The CITGO-Venezuela Heating Oil Program inauguration ceremony in Harlem, New York, on September 21, 2006. Chavez addressed the United Nations General Assembly a day earlier.

Hide Caption

5 of 9

Photos: Celebrities and Hugo Chavez9 photos

Chavez's famous friends – Actress Susan Sarandon poses for a picture with Chavez and his daughter, Rosa, at the afterparty of the "South of the Border" premiere in New York on September 23, 2009.

Hide Caption

6 of 9

Photos: Celebrities and Hugo Chavez9 photos

Chavez's famous friends – After attending the premiere of his film "Che," actor Benicio del Toro meets with Chavez at the Miraflores palace on March 4, 2009.

Hide Caption

7 of 9

Photos: Celebrities and Hugo Chavez9 photos

Chavez's famous friends – Boxing promoter Don King speaks with Chavez and an unidentified woman at the presidential palace in Caracas on February 2, 2004.

Hide Caption

8 of 9

Photos: Celebrities and Hugo Chavez9 photos

Chavez's famous friends – Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona shares a laugh with Chavez at a press conference in Caracas on July 22, 2010.

Hide Caption

9 of 9

EXPAND GALLERY

Just Watched

Chavez sings a tune with Larry King

A coalition between former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski and a group called the Democratic Unity Roundtable has made the country's opposition the strongest it has ever been, some analysts say. But, says Carl Meacham of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the opposition may still not be strong enough.

The U.S. may seek Venezuela's help in imposing sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program, senior American officials said.

Iran and Venezuela have close relations.

Last year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled to Venezuela as part of a tour of Latin America. The two leaders vowed to work together.

Over the years, the two nations have signed more than 270 accords, including trade deals and agreements on construction projects, car and tractor factories, energy initiatives and banking programs.

The other is oil.

Will the death affect Venezuela's oil supply?

It may, some analysts say -- and that would be a huge concern for the United States.

Venezuela remains the fourth-biggest oil supplier to the U.S. market. If the power vacuum causes exports to drop, U.S. consumers could face higher prices and another hit to the U.S. economy, analysts say.

When is Chavez's funeral planned?

Venezuela is planning a state funeral Friday that is expected to be attended by regional and world leaders and dignitaries, including Ahmadinejad. Chavez will be buried after the ceremony but officials have not said where.

What has been the reaction to the death?

Chavez allies, such as leaders of Ecuador, China, Iran and Cuba, expressed sorrow and solidarity.

Bolivian President Evo Morales' voice cracked as he spoke to reporters, describing Chavez as someone "who gave all his life for the liberation of the Venezuelan people ... of all the anti-imperialists and anti-capitalists of the world."

Longtime critics had a different view, with some saying his death could be seen as an opportunity for change.

"At this key juncture, I hope the people of Venezuela can now build for themselves a better, brighter future based on the principles of freedom, democracy," Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.

Opinions varied too among CNN readers who offered their thoughts on iReport.

"We can't in the U.S. always looks at somebody and just label them as a dictator," said Omekongo Dibinga, a motivational speaker from Washington DC.

"At the end of the day, he's somebody who really wanted to help others to do better. For that he should be respected, even by those who did not agree with his policies."

Carlos Quijada said he fled Venezuela 10 years ago as a teen because there was no future there.

"My life was completely altered because of that man. And I will not hide the fact that I am happy that he is no longer alive," he said. "I left Venezuela because my brother got kidnapped, our house got burglarized, cars stolen, my parents had an import business and the currency control made it impossible for them to import anything anymore."